Launching Rockets

Over the past few years when I was speaking to a group I began to notice how often people would have questions about being a parent. I would give my standard response–

My kids are still at home so I’m the last person who should be giving parenting advice

And then I’d pause and add

That said, I do have some observations…

and everybody would laugh and then I’d riff on a few observations on being a parent. Which is funny, because when you say you have no advice but you do have some observations, you’re basically giving advice…

What I saw again and again was how certain riffs and ideas and insights had a lot of energy and resonance to them, and so after a while I started keeping track of the ones that seemed to strike a chord.

As the list grew and grew I would often talk about them with my wife Kristen, who would then offer her commentary on my observations. And I’d usually think

Her commentary on my observations is better than my observations!

So here it is. It’s 3 hours long, the first two hours are my giving you my 17 observations, and then the third hour is Kristen giving her commentary on the observations.

I hope as you listen you’re reminded of the sacred exhilarating joy of launching rockets.